Diver{3 s mask

ABSTRACT

A diver&#39;&#39;s mask comprising a rubber face piece having a nose piece and a rimmed front opening to accomodate a single-piece glass pane, a rigid frame member encircling said front opening and provided with means extending into a deep groove formed in the face piece above the nose root zone of the mask, so as to sustain the mask nose piece and to press the rim of the face piece against the edge of the glass pane, thus providing for a waterproof tight seal between said parts.

United States Patent De Barbieri et al. I

.[ 1 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] DIVERS MASK [72] Inventors: Ettore De Barbieri, Via Solimano, S.

Margherita Ligure; Umberto Boggian, Crosa Osten 5/B, 16030 Sori, both of Italy [22] Filed: March 23, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 21,847

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data March 26, 1969 Italy .6905 A/69 Sept. 12, 1969 ltaly.... .7312 A/69 52 Us. Cl. ..2/14 D, 2/14 w [51] Int. Cl. ..A64t 9/02 [58] Field of Search .2/14 R, 14 A, 14 B, 14 C,'14 D,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,685 1/1953 Moeller ..2/14 D 3,027,562 4/1962 Widenor ..2/1'4 W A divers mask Comprising a rubberface piece having 7 a nose piece and a rimmed front opening to accomodate a single-piece glass pane, a rigid frame 8/1967 Gatti et a1. ..2/14 D FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 625,592 12/1962 Belgium ..2/ 14 A 705,370 5/1966 Italy v.2/14 W 1,158,297 I/1958 France ..2/14 W 743,356 12/1943 Germany ..2/14 A 518,258 3/1955 Italy ..2/14 A Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Shlesinger, Arkwright & Garvey ABSTRACT member encircling said front opening and provided with means extending into a deep groove formed in the face piece above the nose root zone of the mask, so as to sustain the mask nose piece and to press the rim of the face piece against the edge of the glass pane, thus providing for a waterproof tight seal between said parts.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 081 3 i972 SHEET 2 OF 3 DIVERS MASK This invention relates to a divers mask of the'kind covering eyes and nose, and comprising a single-piece glass pane.

More particularly the present invention relates to a mask of the kind set forth, which, when fitted on the divers face, encloses a very reduced air volume, the glass pane being positioned very close to the divers eyes.

Furthermore the mask is made of simple pieces that may be assembled in an easy manner without the use of tools.

It is known that it is of the utmost importance for a divers mask, particularly a mask for apnea divers, to enclose a minimum air volume, so as to reduce to a minimum the amount of expired air required for balancing the external water pressure acting on the mask at the different depths.

In a first attempt to solve this problem, masks were designed whose face piece was shaped so as to follow the profile of the nose.

However, in order to provide for a good seal between the glass pane and the rubber face piece, it was necessary to position the glass pane in a plane lyirig substantially tangentially to the nose tip.

In this known masks, however the air space left inside of the mask is still great, while the visual field of the diver is greatly reduced with respect, for instance, to the so called full face masks, due to the substantial distance of the glass pane from the eyes.

It was also proposed to solve the problem of having a large visual field by employing the so-called binocular masks: however, it was almost impossible to maintain in said masks the two glasses coplanar, and therefore the visibility in water was usually greatly distorted.

According to the present invention, the above problems are solved by providing a divers mask in which the single-piece glass pane is mounted in a plane passing substantially through the nose root.

This object is attained by providing in a divers mask comprising a rubber face piece having a nose piece and a rimmed front opening to accommodate a single-piece glass pane, a rigid frame member encircling said front opening and provided with means extending into a deep notch formed in the face piece above the nose root zone of the mask, so as to sustain the mask nose piece and to press the front rim of the face piece against the glass pane, thus providing for a waterproof tight seal between said parts.

Further characteristic features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following specification made with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a divers mask according to the invention with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section through the mask shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 2 of a second embodiment of a mask according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a section, corresponding to those views of FIGS. 2 and 4, of a third embodiment of mask according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the clamping frame of the mask shown in FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is a detail of the nose zone portion of the frame shown in FIG. 6.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 1 is the face piece of the mask, which is made of soft rubber or the like and is provided, integral therewith, with a nosepiece 2. The said face piece 1 has also a front opening having a substantially rectangular shape with rounded sides and corners and provided in the central section of the lower side, just above the nose piece 2 with an inverted V-shaped notch following the. upper nose piece profile. The front opening of the said face piece 1 is surrounded by a rim 3 integral therewith. In this rim 3 the glass pane 5, shaped like the front opening of the face piece 1, is encased.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this glass pane 5 is encircled by a frame 6, made preferably of hard plastic material and provided with a downward extension 106 having a groove 206 in which the corresponding part of the rim 3 of the face piece 1 is encased. The said rimmed portion of the face piece 1 is provided also, in the inverted V-shaped zone with a groove 101, in which the corresponding part of an outer frame 7 made of hard material, and for instance of hard plastic material, is encased. The frame 7 is shaped in a manner as to follow the contour of the front opening of the mask and serves for clamping together the brim of the glass pane 5 and the face piece rim 3.

In assembling the mask as shown, the glass pane is first inserted in place into the front opening of the face piece 1. Then the grooved portion 101 of the face piece is inserted into the groove 206 of the extension 106 of the glass pane frame 6, and thereafter the clamping frame 7 is snapped all around the outer rim 3 of the front opening of the face piece I of the mask, but in correspondence of the lower middle section of the opening, where it is inserted into the groove 101 of the part of the face piece rim in the zone of the nose root.

In this manner, the said clamping frame 7 provides for a tight seal of the glass pane in the rim of the face piece, and also holds up the nose piece 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the glass pane is provided at the apex of the inverted V- shaped profile with an open circular notch 205 and the face piece 101 has in said zone a corresponding profile. The clamping frame 107 is provided with a cylindrical projection 207 extending into the said notched portion. In this manner, a tight seal is obtained between the root portion of the nose piece and the glass pane, while the nose piece is firmly anchored thereto.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the face piece of the mask has an internally grooved rim 303 in which the glass pane 305 is mounted directly. The face piece 201 is provided, at the root zone of the nose piece 2 and beneath the glass pane 305, with a groove 202. The clamping frame 207 is provided with a clamping flange 307 all around its outer periphery. The said flange 307 is provided, at the apex of the V shaped zone corresponding to groove 202 in the face piece 201, with narrower clamping flange portion 407, which may be inserted into groove 202.

Also in this manner it is obtained a tight sea] at this portion, while sustaining the nose piece.

From the foregoing it is evident that the invention is providing a mask in which the glass pane is in a plane lying substantially in the plane passing through the nose root of the mask face piece, which means that, when the mask is worn by a diver, the glass pane comes to be very close to his eyes and thus the visual field of the diver is broadened, while the air volume enclosed by the mask is reduced to a minimum.

The mask may also be easily assembled without the use of tools, which is of great advantage, and permits to the mask dealers to have a stock of clamping frames of different colors so that the user of the mask may have his mask provided with the clamping frame of the preferred color, without the need for the dealer to have a stock of masks of differing colors.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A divers mask comprising:

a. a face piece,

b. said face piece being provided with a generally rectangular front opening,

c. a nose piece formed integrally with said face piece,

d. a unitary transparent pane member inserted in the front opening of said face piece,

e. said pane member being disposed in a plane substantially coincident with the vertical plane passing through the root of the nose piece and having an inverted V-shaped notch to receive the nose piece,

f. means encircling the front opening of said face piece for holding said transparent pane member in position,

g. said face piece being provided with an outwardly facing recess at the nose root zone below the inverted V-shaped notch in said pane member and below said encircling means, and

h. a frame member encircling the portion of said face piece defining the front opening,

i. said frame member including a complementary portion extending into the face piece recess for cffecting a tight seal between the root portion of the nose piece and the transparent pane member.

2. The divers mask of claim 1, wherein:

a. said means comprises a second frame member encircling the pane member.

3. The divers mask of claim 1, wherein:

a. said means comprises an internally grooved rim in said face piece for receiving said pane member.

4. The divers mask of claim 1, wherein:

a. said recess is a circular notch, and

b. said complementary portion of the frame member is a cylindrical projection extending into said circular notch.

5. The divers mask of claim 1, wherein:

a. said face piece is constructed of a resilient material, and

b. said frame member is constructed of a rigid material.

6. A divers mask comprising:

a. a resilient face piece,

b. said face piece being provided with a rim defining a front opening of substantially rectangular shape,

0. a nose piece formed integrally with said face piece,

(1. said nose piece extending partially into the lower central portion of the front opening of said face piece,

e. a unitary transparent pane member inserted within the rim of said face piece defining the front opening of said face piece,

f. said pane member being disposed in a plane substantially coincident with the vertical plane passing through the root of the nose piece and having an inverted V-shaped notch to receive that portion of the nose piece extending into the lower central portion of the front opening of said face piece,

g. means encircling the front opening of said face piece for holding said transparent pane'member in position,

h. a portion of said face piece being provided with an outwardly facing recess at the nose root zone below the inverted V-shaped notch in said pane member and below said encircling means, and

i. a rigid frame member encircling the rim of the face piece defining the front opening,

j. said frame member including a complementary portion extending into the face piece recess for effecting a tight seal between the root portion of the nose piece and the transparent pane member.

7. The divers mask of claim 6, wherein:

a. said means comprises a second rigid frame member encircling the pane member and interposed between the pane member and the rim of the face piece.

8. The divers mask of claim 7, wherein:

a. said second rigid frame member is provided with a downward extension in the area of said nose piece,

b. said second rigid frame member having an outwardly extending groove, and

c. said portion of the face piece provided with an outwardly facing recess being complemental to, and extending into, said outwardly extending groove.

9. The divers mask of claim 6, wherein:

a. said means comprises an internal groove in said rim of the face piece in which the pane member is positioned.

10. The divers mask of claim 9, wherein:

a. the periphery of said rigid frame member is provided with a clamping flange,

b. said clamping flange being narrowed at the apex of the inverted V-shaped nose portion, and

c. the narrowed portion of said clamping flange being inserted into said outwardly facing recess of the face piece. 

1. A diver''s mask comprising: a. a face piece, b. said face piece being provided with a generally rectangular front opening, c. a nose piece formed integrally with said face piece, d. a unitary transparent pane member inserted in the front opening of said face piece, e. said pane member being disposed in a plane substantially coincident with the vertical plane passing through the root of the nose piece and having an inverted V-shaped notch to receive the nose piece, f. means encircling the front opening of said face piece for holding said transparent pane member in position, g. said face piece being provided with an outwardly facing recess at the nose root zone below the inverted V-shaped notch in said pane member and below said encircling means, and h. a frame member encircling the portion of said face piece defining the front opening, i. said frame member including a complementary portion extending into the face piece recess for effecting a tight seal between the root portion of the nose piece and the transparent pane member.
 2. The diver''s mask of claim 1, wherein: a. said means comprises a second frame member encircling the pane member.
 3. The diver''s mask of claim 1, wherein: a. said means comprises an internally grooved rim in said face piece for receiving said pane member.
 4. The diver''s mask of claim 1, wherein: a. said recess is a circular notch, and b. said complementary portion of the frame member is a cylindrical projection extending into said circular notch.
 5. The diver''s mask of claim 1, wherein: a. said face piece is constructed of a resilient material, and b. said frame member is constructed of a rigid material.
 6. A diver''s mask comprising: a. a resilient face piece, b. said face piece being provided with a rim defining a front opening of substantially rectangular shape, c. a nose piece formed integrally with said face piece, d. said nose piece extending partially into the lower central portion of the front opening of said face piece, e. a unitary transparent pane member inserted within the rim of said face piece defining the front opening of said face piece, f. said pane member being disposed in a plane substantially coincident with the vertical plane passing through the root of the nose piece and having an inverted V-shaped notch to receive that portion of the nose piece extending into the lower central portion of the front opening of said face piece, g. means encircling the front opening of said face piece for holding said transparent pane member in position, h. a portion of said face piece being provided with an outwardly facing recess at the nose root zone below the inverted V-shaped notch in said pane member and below said encircling means, and i. a rigid frame member encircling the rim of the face piece defining the front opening, j. said frame member including a complementary portion extending into the face piece recess for effecting a tight seal between the root portion of the nose piece and the transparent pane member.
 7. The diver''s mask of claim 6, wherein: a. said means comprises a second rigid frame member encircling the pane member and interposed between the pane member and the rim of the face piece.
 8. The diver''s mask of claim 7, wherein: a. said second rigid frame member is provided with a downward extension in the area of said nose piece, b. said second rigid frame member having an outwardly extending groove, and c. said portion of the Face piece provided with an outwardly facing recess being complemental to, and extending into, said outwardly extending groove.
 9. The diver''s mask of claim 6, wherein: a. said means comprises an internal groove in said rim of the face piece in which the pane member is positioned.
 10. The diver''s mask of claim 9, wherein: a. the periphery of said rigid frame member is provided with a clamping flange, b. said clamping flange being narrowed at the apex of the inverted V-shaped nose portion, and c. the narrowed portion of said clamping flange being inserted into said outwardly facing recess of the face piece. 